15-1-83 MoN . -- New Zealand's next weekend's lad become a testing gro Out classic example and there have been others - is the current world drivers' champion. Keke Rosberg. of Finland. A few years ago, he was just another hopeful somewhat wildly mixing it with Australians and local drivers in the Formula Pacific series which, incidentally, he won. Today, Rosberg is big in Formula 1 Grand Prix racing. When he was in New Zealand - and he raced in two international series - he was not exactly on the breadline, but he did have occasion to wonder if he would be able to make ends meet for yet another season. TRAPPINGS Now Rosberg has all the trappings of success - a country mansion in Berkshire, a villa in Ibiza and apartments in Monte Carlo and Los Angeles. His "toys" include a Ferrari 308GIS. a Stallion which is a copy of the famous AC Cobra, sundry motorcycles and a turboprop Cheyenne executive aircraft. Formula Pacific has also furthered the racing career and brought recognition particulariy in the United States and the Northern Hemisphere, to Christchurchborn Dave McMillan. international motor raci y Wigram Trophy is sh und for budding young This nuggety 39-yearold is the most professional New Zealander in racing today and last year he won the North American Formula Atlantic championship. McMillan will race at Wigram next weekend. Formula Atlantic is the Northern Hemisphere equivalent of Formula Pacific and there are more than 200 Formula Atlantic cars being raced in the U.S. and Canada. ing series - of which he last round - has champions. Formula Pacific and Atlantic racing is conducted in 11 countries and the formula has become so popular that FIA, the sportine inter- body responsible for national motor racing. has Just instituted a world championship series for Pacific and Atlantic cars. Internationally, this is known as the Mondial series and it is the only world championship, with he notable exception of ne -jong-established series for Formula 1 Grand Prix racers. Some of the great internationally recognised racing drivers of today established their reputations in Pacific and Atlantic cars, Like McMillan, the late Giles Villeneuve and his brother Jacques, former Formula 1 champion James Hunt, Frenchman Jacques Lafitte and Rosberg became North American Formula Atlantic champions before moving on to greater things. DAVE MCMILLAN This year's New Zealand Formula Pacific international motor racing series has never been more soundly based. New Zealand's Apple and Pear Marketing Board is now backing the series and has an option to continue to do so until at least 1985. The series is also being supported by the Ford Motor Company of New Zealand Ltd and the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company of New Zealand Ltd, both of which have a vested interest in Formula Pacific racing. Although some carmakers. notably the Japanese Nissan company. nave produced engines tor Formula Pacific cars, by far the greatest number used are Ford-based. These engines, generally known as the Ford BDA. have been developed by Britain's Cosworth Engineering Company. from the Ford Cortina 1.6-litre power unit. However, they are Youngsters OUT TO make mark North American Formula Atlantic champion, New Zealander Dave McMillan, is the favourite for the Lady Wigram Trophy classic race a week tomorrow. McMillan started in 185 races between 1972 and 1982, won 78 of them, was placed second 24 times and third 22 times. On top of that he was the fastest qualifier on 75 occasions. A special correspondent reports vastly different in many respects from the engine in the everyday Cortina. For example, there are four valves per cylinder for each of the four cylinders and the engines used by most of the drivers develop around 164kw. 0r 220 brake horse power. at staggering 9000 revolutions per minute. Goodyear tyres are fitted to all Formula Pacific cars and 1o ensure that no competitor gains an unfair advantage from using what could be described as "trick" tyres. either while qualifving for a grid position or in actual racing. these tyres are all manufactured to precisely the same specification and there are even limitations on the number of sets of tyres a competitor can use at each race meeting. Formula Pacific cars must strictly conform with rules laid down to regulate the technical specifications. The purpose behind the rules is to make the cars as evenly matched as possible in order that the outcome of the races is determined by driving ability rather than mechanical excellence When qualifying sessions for the trophy race are held at Wigram next Saturday. the figures the drivers will be trying to better. or at least emu- late, will be 70.4sec for a lap of the aerodrome circuit. or average speed . of 174.29kmh (108.30mph). Almost without excep tion, race drivers put up better times during qualifying sessions than they do when racing, but. an last year's race, Aucklander David Oxton, in his Rait RI4. put in fastest race lap at 174.30kmh, which was slower only by the merest fraction than Brazilian Roberto Moreno's fastest qualiiying time. Moreno, also driving a Ralt RT4, the car acknowledged to be the best Formula Pacific racer. was last year's trophy race winner.